The Hero's Return
by KeyofNostalgia
Summary: Dreams don't last forever. Percy has finally woken up and freed himself, but even more challenges lie ahead. In addition to not being caught by Aether's army, he must travel all the way home before the army gets there and attacks camp. Not knowing who to trust or even if he should trust himself, Percy is in for one Hades of a ride. Sequel to The Proof of War.
1. A Rude Awakening

******I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

**Guess who's not dead? :D**

**But seriously, I'm sorry about the delay. I didn't make much changes to the previous stories after all (partially due to laziness). I hope you enjoy!**

Have you ever been in school and thought, 'I'm never going to use this in life, so why am I wasting my time learning it?' That's what I thought about theatre…until I got thrown into an army full of monsters who would rip me to pieces unless I pulled off the act that I was one of them. Granted, I thought that about pretty much every class, and I didn't hate theatre, but suddenly having to improvise to save my life didn't really appeal to me.

Anyway, back to the part with the army. One day, I literally just woke up to find myself surrounded by monsters. My first instinct was to take out Riptide, slash a path through them, and run like Hades, but there were two problems with that. One, it occurred to me that I was a part of this army (for now), and two, I had thrown away Riptide. I internally cursed myself and put on a blank face. What did they want? I only remembered bits and pieces of what I did when I was asleep, like it was a scattered dream.

Sensing the monsters grow impatient, I glared. "What was that? I didn't hear it. I was receiving vital orders from Lord Aether." I know, it was a lame excuse, but hey, it's better than nothing!

"What orders?" one yelled suspiciously.

I narrowed my eyes and snapped, "None of your business!"

"But Perseus," a voice purred, "this is his army." Mormo sashayed out from the crowd. "Don't you think it's their business to know what their master wants?"

She was creeping me out, and I resisted the urge to shudder. _Think, Percy, think!_ "It…involves this body and ensuring that Perseus does not regain control. It does not concern the army as a whole." Man, it felt weird to refer to myself like that.

Mormo sniffed and gave me a devilish look. "Well, I will take my leave then," she said, and the spirit vanished.

I turned to the monsters. "I must deal with some urgent business immediately. Leave!" I said sternly. The troops grumbled but scattered nevertheless. Thank the gods for unintelligent monsters.

Letting out an inaudible sigh of relief, I walked to what I recalled to be my tent. I needed to learn and remember things fast, or I was not going to last long here.

* * *

I adjusted to the situation rather quickly, if I do say so myself. The army was headed to the Canadian border, where Aether would transport one group to New York while the other marched to California. The problem was that even if I didn't get caught by the time we moved south, Aether would surely know that I was no longer in his control once he saw me. That meant I had to ditch this army _now_.

When nighttime came, I walked purposefully out of my tent with a bag of supplies and the steel-bronze sword sheathed at my hip. I continued my way to the edge of camp and just ignored whoever stopped to see what I was doing. I reached the end, where two demigods were on guard.

"Where are you going?" one asked. I glanced at them apathetically, but inside I felt sad. These were mercenaries, wandering demigods who didn't feel like they belonged at either camp. Some of them were even in the Titan army before it disbanded. I wished I could help them somehow, but I couldn't say anything without alerting them of my plans.

"I'm going for a walk," I said shortly, and they just nodded and let me pass. I wondered if this was a regular occurrence.

When I was out of their sight, I started jogging. A sense of great freedom passed over me, like I had completely broken free of an oppressive force. I was thinking about how happy I'd be to see my friends again when the air suddenly turned humid. A woman appeared to block my way, I skidded to a stop. It was Mormo.

"Where do you think you're going?" she growled.

Trying to stare her down, I replied, "I am on an exercise routine. Getting some fresh air is good, after all."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that you weren't trying to leave? There is always the chance that Perseus might have woken up…"

I shrugged. "Believe what you want, but you should go back and mind your own business."

"Or what?" Mormo mocked. "You're going to stab me?"

'Why not?' I thought. In one swift motion, I unsheathed the sword and plunged it into her chest.

She screeched, showing her true nature as she disintegrated: vicious and hag-like. The dissipating spirit glared at me with her glinting red eyes, warning, "You've been a very bad child…" Her remains were swept away by the wind, and I sighed in relief. With any luck, my friends and I wouldn't have to deal with her in the battles to come.

I glanced back warily. Her scream had probably alerted the guards, so I sprinted, trying to put as much distance between us as I could.

**Thoughts, questions, comments, problems? Feel free to tell!**


	2. Getting Help from a Bartender

******I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

I stayed near the coast as I ran, just in case they chased after me. Unfortunately, all they would have to do was follow my tracks in the snow, so I tried to find a road not covered by it. Panting heavily by then, I slowed down my pace. Trekking all the way across the United States from here to New York before the army arrived at camp wasn't possible! How in Hades would I make it over there? Maybe I should have planned things out better, but that was Annabeth's thing. I wished I could see her…

I considered continuing south to Camp Jupiter and getting some help from the Romans. I didn't know how they could help, but it was at least a familiar place.

Pausing for a bit to breathe in the sea breeze, I felt a little refreshed. I wondered what my father thought of me now since I had pretty much turned my back on the Olympians…intentional or not. I hoped he didn't want to blast me to pieces for throwing away Anaklusmos, his gift to me.

Jogging along again, I came across a tavern right near the ocean. These places actually still existed? Despite it being a random old building, I felt drawn to it, like I should go in. I sighed. It was better than just standing indecisively out in the cold, right? So I entered through the worn wooden door.

Warm air greeted my face as I stepped in. There was a high bar table behind which a single bartender was cleaning a glass, and a couple of customers were chatting at a corner table. The lights were dim, so I tried not to bump into anything as I made my way to the bar table. What would I do now, just awkwardly ask for a glass of water?

The bartender, who seemed to be a man in his thirties, scrutinized me. He had black hair and seaweed-green eyes, and he was about my height. "You're underage," he pointed out. I shrugged and asked for water.

He handed me a full cup, and I nodded in thanks, distracted. Why had I come in here? There must have been something…

"Are you lost?" the man questioned. I shook my head, knowing full well that even though I _was _completely and utterly lost, telling him that would just complicate things.

After considering me for a moment, he smirked. He leaned forward, and I blinked, startled. This guy smelled like the sea! "It isn't polite to lie," he said in a low voice, "especially not to a very old, very ancient deity."

I frowned in confusion. Why would a god take up the job of a bartender? He backed away and smiled at me. "Perseus Jackson, I am Pontus, the Primordial god of the sea."

I eyed him warily and tried not to fidget. If this god was bitter about my dad being the current god of the sea and pretty much taking his place…well, I was dead.

Pontus chuckled. "Don't look so nervous! I'm a nice guy," he said, getting a small glass. "I like it here. Nereids visit me often, and the mortals are usually amiable. _Usually_, meaning when they're not drunk." He winked.

I smiled uneasily but didn't let go of my doubts. Gods who seemed extremely nice at first usually had another side to them. I mean, just look at Hera! Sensing my tension, he sighed. "Listen, I actually want to help you." He poured a liquid that looked like apple juice into the glass and slid it to me. "See? I'll even throw in a cup of nectar for free." He nodded encouragingly, and I took it.

"You're running from Aether? He's an uptight little twit," Pontus said as I cautiously sipped the drink. It tasted like warm chocolate chip cookies.

"Even if you make it to the Roman camp, they will not be able to help you get to your own in time," he continued. "Obviously, as you made it here and are talking to me, Aether's army is very close to getting out of Alaska."

I drained the rest of the nectar and set the glass down. "What should I do then?"

Taking the glass, he started cleaning it. He turned and smiled. "Why don't you ask your father for help? You're his favorite, aren't you?"

I shrugged, thinking that probably wasn't true anymore. The last time I had seen my father, he had watched as I tried to kill my friends. It was a vague memory, but I remembered that part.

Pontus' smile turned a little sad. "Pray to him," he told me. "I do not know when or how he will guide you, but he will be listening." He sighed. "Head south if he doesn't work right away. You still need to keep from being caught by the other part of Aether's forces. Speaking of which," he dropped down to a whisper, "you'd better, uh, hightail it out of here through the back. It seems my dear cousin has decided to pay me a visit."

Eyes widening, I scrambled to the back door and dashed out. As I softly closed the door, I hear Pontus greet cheerfully, "Ah, Aether. Long time no see!" I let out a sigh of relief as I sneaked away.

* * *

When I arrived at the beach, the ocean was dull. I wondered if Poseidon was feeling glum or something. Shuffling my feet nervously in the sand, I tried to collect my thoughts, which isn't too easy when you're ADHD.

'Dad,' I thought, 'I hope you're there. I'm sorry about throwing Riptide away, saying I didn't need or want anything from you. That wasn't true. I'm sorry for everything…' I took a deep breath. Even though it wasn't really me who did those things, that was probably a minor detail that the gods would overlook. It was better to apologize than to make weak excuses.

"Please, help me, father," I said aloud softly. The sea remained listless, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of hurt. I should have been used to the fact that the gods usually ignored their children, but acknowledging it didn't make it any easier.

After waiting a few seconds just to be sure, I turned and ran away from the ocean.

**I'm so lazy...and school continues to haunt me, even during break. I hope whoever reads this enjoys it!**


	3. Blinded by Light

**I do not own PJO or HoH. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

**Thank you to coralie14 for the review and to others for follows/favorites. :3**

I felt miserable as I jogged to gods-know-where. The sun was rising, and I hadn't slept a wink. If I couldn't find a place to rest, I would run out of energy soon.

Stopping to catch my breath, I winced as a faint light flickered in the distance. Aether's light spirits were catching up, and they would capture me very soon at this rate. I wondered if Aether realized I had escaped his control. Probably. The only reason he himself wasn't coming after me was most likely because he was focused on sending 200 of his troops to New York.

_Maybe I should jump in the ocean until they're gone, _I thought. It was better than doing nothing, so I veered into the ocean, letting the cold water envelop my body. Tired as I was, I felt a surge of strength return to me as I dived. Hearing the chattering thoughts of the sea creatures nearby, I couldn't help but smile. But then they turned agitated. _Swim away, Son of the Sea God, swim away!_

Before I could heed their frantic warning, a luminous being splashed in and grabbed my arm. It appeared distorted in the water, but I recognized it as a light spirit. I struggled, the water aiding my efforts, but several more appeared to drag me out. Stumbling up, I kicked one of them in the knee, making it fall back. The others rushed at me before I could draw my sword, preventing my escape by knocking me down. One pulled my hands behind my back said in a male voice, "Struggling is futile. I suggest you return with us quietly." His voice had an echo to it, as if he was speaking inside a large, empty metal container. Like the others, distinctive qualities were hardly visible, but I could make out a masculine face through the light. Now that I had a closer look, I was able to see that they all wore robes as Aether had when I first saw him. It was as if they were a special (creepy) cult to him. Centering me in their midst, we retraced our steps to where Aether awaited.

* * *

The god of light did _not _look happy. In fact, he looked so angry that I expected his golden afro to burst into flames at any moment. There were also faint scratch marks on his face as if someone had thrown a rabid cat on him.

"Those insufferable, meddlesome gods!" he snarled. "If they hadn't distracted Morpheus and those sons of Ares…" He yelled and kicked a hole in a wooden crate, making chunks of Imperial Gold spill out.

_Arion would have a feast, _I thought.

Aether glared at me. It would be a shame to kill such a useful demigod," he said, regaining some composure, "yet I cannot allow you to help your friends in that weak little camp. So…"

I opened my mouth to protest that Camp Half-Blood was far from being weak, but Aether blasted me with light, blinding me. Imagine a flashlight being shined directly at your eyes. Multiply that energy by twenty, and you have an idea of how excruciatingly bright and painful it was. With it came the mother of all headaches which made me feel like someone was squeezing my brains out, and I blacked out.

I woke up not being able to see anything, and for a panicked second I thought I was in the Mansion of Night in Tartarus. But no, Annabeth wasn't next to me, holding my hand, and the air didn't feel acidic. Closing my eyes, I tried to use my other senses. The floor I was sitting on was cold and felt kind of like marble. There was a wall to my back. I stretched my legs out, but there was just empty air. Shifting forward a bit, I felt my feet hit something with a dull clang. Bars. It was a cell.

Shivering slightly, I wrapped my thick jacket tightly around myself. At least they hadn't taken away my warm clothes. Slowly freezing in a prison while being blind would have driven me insane for sure.

Hearing the soft clinging of glass, I instinctively reached in my pocket for Riptide, but of course, it was absent. The other sword was gone too.

"How are you doing, sir?" a woman's voice asked right in front of me. I flinched, recognizing it as that of a light spirit's by its ringing tone.

Feeling pathetic and defenseless, I mumbled, "I can't see. Where am I?"

She replied soothingly, "Your blindness is temporary. It shall pass with some time. As for your current location, you are in Aether's temple and palace that you briefly visited during your quest." She gently took my hand and placed a cup in it. "Drink the nectar."

I hesitated. What if it was poison or something? My throat felt like sandpaper though, so I drank the liquid, comforting myself with the idea that if they had wanted to kill me, they would have done it already. Thankfully, the blissful taste of homemade cookies filled my mouth.

"How long was I out?" I asked. Aether must have moved me after I fell unconscious. I was even farther away from my destination now.

"You have been passed out for a day," she said. Her voice sounded a little more distant, and I opened my eyes, hoping to see anything. To my surprise, I found that I could make out some blurry shapes. My eyes locked on to the brightest object: the spirit. "Your sight is recovering," she pointed out. "However, it is not yet good enough for you to escape."

I snorted. "How would I escape anyway? I'm in a jail cell of a palace that's on the top of the tallest mountain in the world."

She floated out of the cell as if the bars weren't there. "You need not worry about that now. I will bring you some mortal food."

I sighed and waiting, sensing a headache approaching quickly. Getting out of here was going to be a gigantic pain in the _podex_.

**So...we revisit a place from the quest. Man, that feels like a long time ago...I hope you enjoyed!**


	4. Inside Help

**********I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

By the time the light spirit returned, I was able to see more clearly. She brought a tray of warm bread, cream soup, and strawberries. My stomach growled like a hellhound, but I hesitated. "I need to burn an offering to the gods." I expected her to refuse, but she surprised me. She unlocked the door, picked up the tray, and motioned for me to follow. So I did.

Even the walls and the floor in the dungeon were clear. Unfortunately, it was located under empty space. I shivered, trying not to think about what would happen if the floor shattered. We climbed up a staircase into a hallway that reminded me of one in a hotel. The main difference was that all of the doors were see-through. Not a very good private setting for guests.

She opened one of the doors, and we entered. The room had a small fire going in a fireplace in the corner. There was a normal bed with golden silk sheets on the other end. It wasn't much, but it was way better than sitting in a cold, empty jail.

I took three of the strawberries and dropped them into the fire, murmuring my father's name. The smell reminded me of the fields at camp, and I suddenly felt homesick. Sinking down onto the bed, I chewed on a piece of the bread gloomily.

After a short silence, the spirit spoke up. "You know, these strawberries are imported from Camp Half-Blood." I looked up at her in surprise, and she continued. "I thought they would give you a taste of home and maybe encourage you to go back swiftly." Wait, did I hear that right? This lady actually wanted me to escape?

"Why would you hope for that if Aether is your master?" I asked, bewildered.

She stared at the clouds beneath us for a moment then replied. "My kind, the Lumina, are embodiments of light, which is Aether's domain. However, we are also independent beings. A few others and I do not always support his judgments, and this is one of those times."

I finished off my meal and frowned slightly. "But if you solely serve him, wouldn't you conform to his views?"

"I did say that only a few disagree with him. The majority follow his lead without thought," she stated grimly. "We do have someone else to look to, though. Someone less…uptight."

I raised a brow, thinking she probably wanted to replace that word with something ruder. "Who are you talking about?"

The light around her seemed to shine a little brighter as she said, "I speak of his daughter Lucia."

My jaw dropped. "The girl who helped us? But Aether treated her like…" Realizing that the situation wasn't totally new and shocking to me, I trailed off. Aether was probably to Lucia what Gabe was to me, except the god was less…smelly. The thought made me angry.

"After she dropped you off near the Romans, she returned here and discovered that Aether was using you. Despite having been under his influence her entire life, she knew the difference between right and wrong."

I gripped the bed sheets tightly. "So she left. I don't understand how this will help me, though."

She picked up the empty tray and prepared to leave the room. Lucia cannot enter this temple without notifying her father of her presence. I will send a message to her, and you will have to rendezvous with her some distance away from the mountain."

I groaned and collapsed on the bed. "I have to go through this thing again? I barely remember even doing it the first time!" I felt my legs ache just thinking about it.

Her form flickered as she seemed to smile sympathetically. The Lumen gave me directions out of the temple. "Remember that distance is condensed in the mountain, so it won't be too bad. Watch out for some of the other Lumina; most are not friendly." As she left, she told me to check under the pillow. I lifted it up slightly and smirked. There was an Imperial Gold dagger under it.

I picked it up and studied it. I wasn't too familiar with daggers, but it would have to do. Sheathing it at my hip like a sword, I headed out the door.

**If you notice any errors or other stuff like that...feel free to let me know. :]**


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